Damocles

[ dam-uh-kleez ]

noun
  1. a flatterer who, having extolled the happiness of Dionysius, tyrant of Syracuse, was seated at a banquet with a sword suspended over his head by a single hair to show him the perilous nature of that happiness.

Idioms about Damocles

  1. sword of Damocles, any situation threatening imminent harm or disaster.

Other words from Damocles

  • Dam·o·cle·an [dam-uh-klee-uhn], /ˌdæm əˈkli ən/, adjective

Words Nearby Damocles

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How to use Damocles in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for Damocles

Damocles

/ (ˈdæməˌkliːz) /


noun
  1. classical myth a sycophant forced by Dionysius, tyrant of Syracuse, to sit under a sword suspended by a hair to demonstrate that being a king was not the happy state Damocles had said it was: See also Sword of Damocles

Derived forms of Damocles

  • Damoclean, adjective

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